Waste pickers live, work with pride

Suman More, 50, is no stranger to picking herself up and getting on. So, when she fell during a recent Marathon in her city and bruised her hand and ankle she waved away most help, except for cleaning the wound, and continued on, proudly posing with her finisher’s medal at the end. There’s something inspiring and exceptional about this woman, who is the president of SWaCH, collective of 2800 waste pickers that provide garbage collection and other allied waste management services to 520,000 households in Pune.

From scouring the streets for recyclable waste decades ago, More has worked hard and gradually secured a comfortable future for herself and her family – her son is a journalist and her daughter-in-law teaches in a college – but she continues to do her rounds at waste collection and makes her own living. The earnings often go to educate youngsters in the community.

Urbanites rely on waste collectors to give them a clean start every day. Pic: Suchismita Pai\WFS

Waste pickers, especially, have a tough call: they are out on the streets working for long hours, at risk of being harassed and threatened. They are essential to any city’s waste management system and yet one of the most neglected groups, abused and underpaid. Nonetheless, in Pune, coming together to form a cooperative and an informal union has allowed them to grow and transform outlooks.

Working in the recycling industry as a waste picker, More has always had to push herself every day. “Educating my children was my priority and now they are all settled in white collar occupations. They want me to give up this work but for me that is not an option. I want to do this because it is important for the upkeep of my city,” adds the woman, who, these days, is as much at home in municipal meetings as the president of the first waste pickers’ cooperative as she is being on the streets.

SWaCH was set up a decade back and the scope of its work includes waste collection, resource recovery, trade and waste processing. The idea is to provide decent livelihoods for its members in the recycling industry. A one-of-its-kind model, it brings together waste generators, waste-pickers and the local government, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

While the households are encouraged to become more involved in waste management, the PMC benefits from the door-to-door service that SWaCH offers. But, mainly, the de-centralised model brings much-needed dignity, sustainability and cost efficiency to waste management, which is crucial to making the lives of waste-pickers better.

Pradnya Nagtilak has experienced first-hand the difference the support of a collective like SWaCH can make. She grew up watching her mother working in waste collection and recycling. “My mother left school after Class Seven, but she ensured we completed our education and did well,” she says. A chance conversation with a SWaCH administrative staff at one of her mother’s monthly waste pickers meetings led her to apply for the position of Prabhag coordinator.

Basically, SWaCH has instituted coordinators across 76 prabhag’s, or electoral wards, and they liaise between citizens and waste pickers and the PMC staff for the easy collection and disposal of garbage. A year later, Nagtilak is an inspiration to many of her mother’s colleagues because apart from ironing out the collection concerns she has taken up the cause of girls’ education. “I have personally taken up the cudgels with my mother’s colleagues to ensure they send their girls to school. I have even spoken on the issue of school dropouts to principals of local schools so they can take appropriate action. Having grown up with the challenges that waste pickers and their children face I am in a position to represent those issues to those who can affect change and waste pickers, too, are open to lending me an ear,” elaborates Nagtilak. Her own parents were very clear that she would not get married till she graduated and her sister is now studying to be a lawyer.

Like Nagtilak, Manisha Bhandare, too, is part of the waste management network, but rather than becoming a paid employee she put herself in the driver’s seat as an entrepreneur. At a time when her marriage to an abusive partner was breaking down, there was an initiative from the local waste-pickers trade union to teach women driving. Her father encouraged her to go ahead and even gave her his old tempo to practise on.

Today, she has moved out of the bad marriage along with her children and is staying with her parents. Her mother and she pooled their earnings for a couple of years, traded in the old tempo for a new truck that Bhandare drives herself.

Manisha Bhandare driving her own tempo to collect the waste. Pic: Suchismita Pai\WFS

Out at the crack of dawn, her mother and she have a couple of helpers and they collect waste from residential societies and commercial establishments. She and her band of helpers split the money after accounting for diesel, EMIs and maintenance. “My tempo doubles up as a school bus for the kids in my settlement as well. I weave in the drop and pick-up to school for my kids into my waste collection rounds and many other children jump in along the way. I am back in time to look after my kids when they get back from school. I like being in charge,” she says.

Sangita Gaikwad has found her calling, too. Having accompanied her mother to work for several years, when the opportunity to manage the wet waste at a housing society came up, she grabbed it with both gloved hands. Not only does she manage the collection she has developed an expertise at composting. “Not an ounce of the wet waste goes out of the gates and yet we have no foul smelling dumps to contend with,” says a happy resident.

“We are doing well but the battles are not over,” says Kavita Pawar, who represented the group at the third World Meeting of Popular Movements held in Vatican City, Rome, in November 2016, and explained the plight of waste pickers to an august audience which had, among other luminaries, Pope Francis. She states, “We are recycling agents and help slow down climate change, but never receive our due. We have to struggle to make ends meet despite the service we offer in keeping the city clean and the environment less polluted.”

Another SWaCH member Rajabai Sawant, who accepted back-to-back sanitation awards from the prime minister and the union minister of urban development, housing and urban poverty alleviation, agrees. “Whether it is the INDO-SAN award from the Ministry of Urban development or the Garbage Guru Award from India Today, such accolades rarely translate into tangible benefits. We accept them with all humility but it does not erase a lifetime of neglect. Smart Cities need to be inclusive. When sorting spaces from where we can efficiently divert waste from the landfills is taken away for paid parking, where is the inclusiveness or even the respect for the work we do? When we still get sanitary towels and diapers openly thrown in the trash we sort with our hands, where is the respect in that? When the sharp shards of broken glass in the daily waste bucket cut our hands, how do the awards matter? Efficiency and expertise should be integrated and emulated in the mainstream, but often we are treated as outsiders and outliers,” she says.

Urbanites rely on waste pickers to give them a clean start every day - and like all utility services they are taken for granted. “Imagine what life would be like if there was no electricity or running water and then imagine if those who worked with waste did not do so anymore. Isn’t it time to recognise that we do more than just collect garbage?” asks More.

Suchismita Pai20 December 2016

The author is an independent journalist. This article has been published in arrangement with the Women's Feature Service.

Kevindubros
This is actually amazing information in fact you guys did perfect job for the humanity and nice way to aware the people from many diseases that are related to contamination anyways many writers trying to write unique and new stuff like [url=http://www.ukbestbestessays.com/]customwriting paper writing[/url] for the students and for the new generation anyways thanks.

zhengrice
e constant trial and error, but in the end can reach the peak of climbing that day. Where does self-confidence come from? And how to develop your own self-confidence? A high degree of self-confidence, from a high degree of self-discipline. What is self-discipline? Self-discipline [url=http://www.nikeyeah.com]Shoes Outlet[/url] is to manage their own, their own constraints. This is a very important ability. First learn to restrain yourself, with a strict schedule to control life, in this self-discipline constantly honed out of self-confidence. Self-confidence also represents the control of things, even the most basic time can not control, talk about self-confidence? In addition to self-discipline, the ability to self-black is also very important. The world is big, what birds are there. When you wait for a little time to make points, a lot of people who know or do not know in the back, chirping of the right and wrong. From the beginning of the Tucao, to the outrageous argument even boring black you. Since the black is their own ridicule themselves, their own black humor themselves. Self-black is a way of communication, but also a state, it is an alternative cultivation. Since the black is not waiting until someone said you only appeared, but from beginning to end need some ability. You must see those who are boring vulgar, than they will be good at their own black, until they know the boring, they will be ashamed of the exit. 2. Must go through despair Experience the meaning of despair, that is, has been through this period of time. Maybe you have not been desperate, does not mean you are not strong, but must not have experienced desperate people strong. Never desperate life is not perfect life. Despair may be emotional, career or can not face the loneliness and so on. 'Must' is a prefix word, an important state. 'Must' is not the initiative to choose, but to do a good job of psychological preparation. When despair comes, accept it without fear, even if the moment is extremely painful, and even lost self. Looking for hope in despair, is worth a life experience. A strong man is not conquering anything, but can bear what. [url=http://www.mkwao.com/]Cheap Crossbody Bags[/url] Some things, only experienced, in order to understand the truth, and understand the true [url=http://www.nikesport.shoes/nike-free-nike-free-50-v4-c-32_40.html]Nike Free 5.0 V4[/url] meaning of life. Despair is not terrible, terrible is the loss of courage and passion. Experience despair, but do not be desperate to swallow. On the contrary you have to overcome it, as to overcome the darkness and meet the light. 3. The ability to cultivate alone Loneliness and solitude is not one thing, it is two things, and often confused. People tend to regard communication as a kind of ability, but neglecting solitude is also a kind of ability, and in a certain sense is more important than the ability of communication. If you are not good at communication is a character weakness, then, intolerance alone is simply a soul of the defect. To be lonely, not drift. Lonely is a person's carnival, carnival is a group of people alone. The so-called maturity, that is, the more you grow up, the more you can learn to adapt to everything. In the time alone, to find their true love, and develop their own independent judgment. People only learn to love themselves first, have the ability to love others. If you do not learn to talk to yourself, it's harder to talk to others. The more able to be alone, the more able to face and understand the dilemma, the more able to get along with others. Because you can instantly empathy, but also put themselves in for the sake [url=http://www.nikeyeah.com/Nike-Dunk-SB-Mens.html]Nike Dunk SB Mens[/url] of each other. 4. Not limited to thinking Your eyes are far more than others, your mind [url=http://www.mkloves.com/coach-bags-totes-c-10_12.html]Coach Bags Totes[/url] is wider than others. Every day count of life, sooner or later the future will be calculated by life. In addition, still live in a variety of small and small pattern. Life is the same as driving, when you are 30 yards faster than others, you feel the feelings of others can not perceive. Life is like a plane, when you are 30000 feet higher than others, you see the vision is naturally different from others. Meaning that when you are looking for higher and farther beauty, you do not have to worry about others short-sighted eyes. Everything is cloudy and light, no longer affected. After the broad, it will not be [url=http://www.nikesport.shoes/]Nike Air Max Shoes[/url] bound by the narrow doctrine. After the freedom, it will not be subject to formalism. 5. Need a faith People are too limited, no matter what you believe, always have a faith, otherwise there is no difference with the animals. In this era, almost everyone has faith, but their own beliefs are different. Some people believe in power, some people believe in money, some people believe in love, some people believe in love, some people believe in happiness, some people believe in food, some people believe in party, some people believe in the system, some people believe in the gods, some people believe in God, some people believe in God, some people believe in Christ ... No matter what kind of faith, are worthy of respect, and any faith needs to be in-depth understanding and believe that can be called faith. Any kind of faith, if it [url=http://www.mkloves.com/]Cheap Coach Bags[/url] is a confused letter, can not be called faith, belong to superstition, including Christianity, including al

rainahuang
Running Shoe Fit Tips
Foot size: Shoe lasts (which determine shoe sizes) vary by manufacturer and even from one www.mkpee.com shoes shoe model to another. http://www.lightupshoe.sale. You may need a half-size or even a full size smaller or larger than you think. If you're unsure, have http://www.nikemax.shoes your feet measured. http://www.nikeyeah.com. Try on shoes at the end of the day. Your feet normally swell a bit during the day's activities and will be at their largest then. This helps you avoid buying that are too small. http://www.nikeshoesales.com. Aim for a thumbnail's length of extra space in the toebox. The width should be snug but allow a bit of room for your foot to move without rubbing. Laces should be snug but not tight. Barefoot shoes are an exception: Heel and toes should “fit like a glove”without any extra http://www.shoesmaxs.com space in the toes.

August 21 2017, 6:23 AM ·
0 ·
0

rainahuang
Running Shoe Fit Tips
Foot size: Shoe lasts (which determine shoe sizes) vary by manufacturer and even from one www.mkpee.com shoes shoe model to another. http://www.lightupshoe.sale. You may need a half-size or even a full size smaller or larger than you think. If you're unsure, have http://www.nikemax.shoes your feet measured. http://www.nikeyeah.com. Try on shoes at the end of the day. Your feet normally swell a bit during the day's activities and http://www.mkpee.com will be at their largest then. This helps you avoid buying that are too small. http://www.nikeshoesales.com. Aim for a thumbnail's length of extra space in the toebox. The width should be snug but allow a bit of room for your foot to move without rubbing. Laces should be snug but not tight. Barefoot shoes are an exception: Heel and toes should “fit like a glove”without any extra http://www.shoesmaxs.com space in the toes.

LILLIAN
A dream is to a man what wings are to a bird. With a dream in the deep heart's core http://www.mkfact.com, a man is spontaneously driven to hitch his wagon to a star. A dream is an inexhaustible source of energy that keeps our enthusiasm burning, and kindles our desire to enhance our spiritual cultivationhttp://www.mkzho.com, refine our character, and upgrade our quality of life. A life without a dream is like a bird with broken wings, confined to a cage and oblivious of what lies beyond the range of its vision. On the contrary, a man with a dream is like a warrior armed with ambition, foresight and gallantry, daring to step into an unknown domain to make a journey of adventure. It is dream that adds fullness, variety, and spice to our life and makes it worth living.I have a dream. It is a dream that is deeply rooted in human nature. http://www.shoesmaxs.com/ I dream that one day people of all origins can live in harmony and peace without being discriminated against or persecuted. The bounty of the earth can be shared by every single human being http://www.nikeshoesales.com/. Mutual respect will guarantee the existence and continuation of the diversity of customs and cultures. Love, sympathyhttp://www.mkpee.com, and cooperation will alleviate the sufferings and disasters inflicted upon our fellow men.http://www.nikeyeah.com/ Respect for basic human rights will put an end to social injustices and evilshttp://www.lightupshoe.sale/. When my dream comes true, all men will be truly equal and happy.Sun always rises in the place where there has a dream; moon always becomes more beatiful where there has a dream http://www.mkpee.com. Dream is a forever smile, something we should go in for in our lives http://www.nikemax.shoes, something that will make your soul pure.

LILLIAN
As is known to all, writing is an important and necessary skill for all students. However, many students don't really understand the true importance of writing, as they just consider writing as a task of exam. As far as I am concerned, writing has deeper importance in many ways.Firstly, improving our ability of using words is a basic function of writing. For example, in order to write a good English composition, we must use every word carefully as much as possible to ensure its correctness. In the process, we have improved our ability of using words and writing skills imperceptibly. In this aspect, writing is a good way to strengthen our ability.Moreover, writing is an effective way to enlarge our vocabulary. Different compositions we write need different vocabularies. Therefore, the more compositions we write, the more vocabularies we get. At the same time, it is helpful to enlarge our reading.And last but not the least, writing makes great contribution to our logical thinking and analysis ability. For one thing, to write a good composition, we must collect and arrange writing materials systematically so that we can show off what is essential and what is not so important. In the process of dealing with materials, we are also learning to analyze and deal with the different problems. For another, it is also a process to practice our own thinking ability and form different thoughts. By dealing with all kinds of compositions, we can get in touch with more thoughts and become wiser.In a word, writing is an important skill, especially for language learners. Thus, we should improve our writing ability as much as possible to improve our overall levels. http://www.shoesmaxs.com/http://www.nikeshoesales.com/http://www.mkpee.comhttp://www.nikeyeah.com/http://www.lightupshoe.sale/http://www.mkzho.comhttp://www.nikemax.shoeshttp://www.mkfact.comhttp://www.nikebtc.comhttp://www.mkuker.comhttp://www.mkerss.comhttp://www.mkyoo.com

maike
Absolute Fashion & Trends Forefront! exclusive news presentation. If you want to know more,
please continue to pay attention to our website with release or publish for the first time:
http://www.bootsshoppingonline.com

August 31 2017, 7:40 PM ·
0 ·
0

evaheseo
She began to hate all around, disgusted with the students talking loudly and their rustic appearance, disgusted their own very clean mother did not wash their clothes . in short look at all the side is not pleasing to the eye, she felt this The environment so that her outstanding gray, faded. So that later, no classmate willing to play with her, even his own family also feel no way to communicate with her. Finally, the girl's mother to the secretly weeping daughter received a piece of bamboo, let the girl look at the beautiful bamboo and grass on the ground, and told her, in fact, bamboo is a grass, but it did not despise their own side of the grass, But firmly doing their own bamboo, quietly to their own high, and ultimately the achievements of its beautiful beauty. And then, the girl changed, and later admitted to a very well-known university, but also has a very good job, the real achievements of a bamboo dream. After reading this story, I was silent for a long time, because such a small story to me is a great heart of the shock. I think bamboo is bamboo, the most important thing is because it has a bamboo heart. Often someone will say that life is very good or bad the most important decision on a person's mind, I think this sentence is very reasonable, too much time, is the mentality destined for our destiny. Too much time, we like the original girl, as has been doomed to the immutable [url=http://www.nikezoom.shoes/mens-air-max-c-387/]Mens Air Max Shoes[/url] environment has too many [url=http://www.nikerell.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=35_57]Air Jordan 6[/url] complaints, of course, the things complained that there is indeed, but since it is born, no Can change the objective environment, our complaints can not solve the problem. Like bamboo, it is living in the same environment as the grass, it does not make any complaints about the environment but it still grows into tall and tall bamboo, because it has the nature of a bamboo, and we have to do It is to make their own practice bamboo quality Talking about it, I can not help but think of another story I have read: the story is a very successful businessman, I can not remember his name, but his story I remember very clear. The story began on a ship to the United States, for various reasons, he and his wife's boat in the sea without fresh water and food, many people are dead, but he told his wife, we are going to live in the United States We must get there, we can not die, have the support of this faith, they drink their own urine, and even eat the flesh of the dead, and ultimately, the search and rescue personnel in the United States found the boat

September 02 2017, 7:02 AM ·
0 ·
0

evaheseo
But one thing I have always believed, that is, when you can move yourself to cry when you succeed!Believe in yourself, believe in their own goals, to bear the suffering and frustration of ordinary people can not afford to continue to work hard, to struggle, [url=http://www.nikezoom.shoes/air-jordan-10-retro-c-394_398]Air Jordan 10 Retro[/url] the end will be your success!﻿Success is not as hard as you think Not because we can not do things hard, but because we dare not do things difficult. In 1965, a Korean student went to Cambridge University to study psychology. When drinking tea, he often goes to school cafes or cafes to listen to some successful people to chat. These successful people include Nobel Prize winners, academic authorities in a number of areas, and people who have created economic myths, who are humorous and reassuring, and see their success very natural and logical. A long time, he found that in the country, he was cheated by some successful people. Those who are trying to make the business people are difficult to quit, generally their own business hard to exaggerate, that is, they are using their own successful experience to frighten those who have not yet succeeded. As [url=http://www.nikezoom.shoes/]Air Max Shoes[/url] a student of the Department of Psychology, he considered it necessary to study [url=http://www.nikedelicacy.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=183]Nike Lebron 12[/url] the mentality of successful people in Korea. In 1970, he presented 'success is not as difficult as you think' as a graduation thesis, presented to the founder of modern economic psychology, [url=http://www.nikerell.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=35_38]Air Jordan 1 Trek[/url] Professor Wilson. After Professor Braden read, he was a surprise, and he thought it was a new discovery that had not been boldly raised and studied in the East, even though it was common in the East [url=http://www.nikerell.com/]Nike Air Max Shoes Sale[/url] and even around the world. Surprise, he wrote to his Cambridge alumni was sitting in the first Korean political spot on the people of Park Chung-hee. 'I dare not say how much this book is for you, but I'm sure it will be shocked by any of your decrees,' he said in the letter.

September 08 2017, 6:22 AM ·
0 ·
0

evaheseo
Forever love, Chang Huaihan read. Get rid of loneliness, make ends meet. Contentment and joy. Tolerant lonely, bitter to sweet. Greedy not mind, wide face no change. Cold place [url=http://www.nikerell.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=35_58]Air Jordan 7[/url] enthusiastic, timely help. The beauty of adults, the difficulties of people Generous, selfless dedication. Help others, and people are good. Do not read the old evil, to Germany complain. By grace and forget, Shi Hui Mo read. Do not complain, nagging when the reduction. Zhimei encouragement, words about far. Honest and trustworthy, not to mention lies. Prudent doubt, avoid slander. Debate white slander, generous attempts to speak. Get rid of jealousy, do not sing rumors. Do not sulking, bogey gossip. Seek truth from facts and punish the lies. Words must line, Min [url=http://www.nikedelicacy.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=121]Nike Air Max 90 Hyperfuse Mens[/url] line words. When you must say, not yet empty talk. Loyal to duty, [url=http://www.nikezoom.shoes/]Cheap Nike Shoes Sale[/url] hard work. Jump out of self, hard working. Hold Park Shouzhuo, diligent study hard practice. Mu body bath Germany, go forward. Attack must be grams, heart to wear stone. Take precautions and think about it. Adhere to the principle of temporary response.

India Together offers an excellent forum for people from diverse fields of expertise to present their views, share their experiences and raise questions about where our country and society are headed in the future.

Amitabha Basu

Retired Scientist

National Physical

Laboratory

India Together reader

India Together offers an excellent forum for people from diverse fields of expertise to present their views, share their experiences and raise questions about where our country and society are headed in the future.

I urge all democratic-minded individuals to road, contribute to and publicise the e-newsletters from India Together. All power and success to India Together staff for their excellent and vital contribution to our society!